Wire-stretcher.



passes through the said lugs.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT I'I. ELROD, OF ATHENS, AND BRANTLY PRICKETT AND ALONZO B. SMITH, OF MAYSVILLE, GEORGIA.

WlRE-STR ETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,400, dated July 4, 1899;

Application filed April 8, 1899. Serial No. 712,311. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT I-I. ELROD, residing at Athens, in the county of Clarke, and BRANTLY PRICKETT and ALONZO B. SMITH, residing at Maysville, in the county of Banks, State of Georgia, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVire-Stretchers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in wire-stretchers for use principally in wirefence building; and it consists in the novel devices hereinafter described and claimed.

Our invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partly in section, of one form of our wire-stretcher as used. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the fulcrum-standard shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is detail perspective of the pivot-clip by means of which the hand-lever is connected to the fulcrum-standard, as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of one of the roughened plates secured upon the fulcrum-standard andlever-arm to grip the wire. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing another form of pivot connection between the lever-arm and the fulcrum-standard, and Fig. 6 is an elevation of this pivot connection as seen from the left in Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, A represents a standard having at its lower end branching legs A, with flattened and sharpened spades at. These spades are intended to be driven into the earth and to serve as a fulcrum for the standard A. Near the upper end uponthe forward side of this standard A is securely mounted a metal clip A having a pair of perforated lugsa and a cross-pin a which Upon the upper'end of the said fulcrum-standard is securely mounted a metal plate B, having a roughened surface h, as seen in Fig. 4, to form a secure gripping-surface for the wire. 0 represents an arm or lever havingv at or near one end a depending hook B, provided with elongated shank-b. The length of this hook and shank is just great enough toallowthe arm 0 when the said hook engages the cross-pin a on the clip A to bear upon the upper end of the fulcrum-standard, the said arm 0 occupying an approximately horizontal position, while the said fulcrum occupies an 7 horizontal lever C are pivotally connected together, should be such as to throw their pivotal point a short distance to one side of the said standard,so that when pressure is brought to bear upon the handle 0 of the lever-arm C the wire may be securely gripped between the plates 0 and B, as shown in Fig. 1. This arrangement while giving a secure gripping effect also allows the parts to be separated sufficiently to admit the wire freely.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, wherein we have shown a pivot connection which while it embodies the same general characteristics of the form shown in Fig. l is of somewhat different construction, D represents a casting, said casting having a fiat backing-plate D", secured by bolts or screws upon the fulcrumstandard, an integral rearward extension D which rests upon and covers the upper end of the fulcrulnstandard and has a roughened upper gripping-surface, and a central rib D upon the face of said backing-plate, elongated upwardly and terminating in a perforated lug d, to which the lever-arm is pivoted. E represents a hollow casting or frame having inclined side plates F. E and upper and lower elongated plates E and E ,respectively, which are securely fastened upon the lever C. At the upper ends of the inclined side plates E E are formed a pair of lugs 6 e perforated for the passage of a pivot-pin, the space between said lugs being just great enough to conveniently receive the lug D upon the casting D. A bolt or pin F passes through the perforations in the said lugs and serves to pivotally connect the lever-arm G withthe fulcrum-standard A. The lower plate E of the casting-E connects the lower ends of the inclined side plates E E and at such point is roughened, as at e in Fig. 5, and combines with the roughened plate D upon the end of the fulcrum-standard to form jaws for gripping the wire.

The operation of the device is as follows: The strand of wire, such as W in Fig. 1, is laid between the gripping-jaw of the standard A and lever-arm O and so held by hand while the lever-arm is lowered thereupon, when the wire may be released from the hand and downward pressure applied to the handle 0 of the lever-arm O. This downward pressure will pull over upon the upper end of the fulcrum-standard A, pulling with it the wire \V, which when drawn to the desired tension may be secured by driving up the staple (indicated at e) in the adjoining post.

It will be seen that the greater the pulling strain exerted upon the Wire by downward pressure on the lever-arm the greater also will be the gripping effect thereon, and hence that the said wire will be securely held at all times no matter how great the pulling strain may be.

The fulcrum-standard and the lever-arm are separable bythe simple disengagement of the hook B from the clip A or, in the form shown in Figs. 5 and-6, by removing the pivot bolt or pin, which renders the device easy of transportation and capable of being packed in a small space when not in use.

The forms shown in Figs. 5 and 6 have the added advantage of being capable of being folded over forward upon each other.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

pivot-pin mounted in said bracket; of a leverarm provided with means for pivotally engaging one end with said pivot-pin; said 1e- Ver-arm extending across the upper end of said standard and arranged to make contact therewith when in a position approximately at right angles thereto; and a roughened gripping-plate on said lever, substantially as described.

2. In a wire-stretcher,the combination with a fulcrum standard, laterally spaced legs upon the lower end of said standard having fiat-pointed feet for engaging in the earth, and having a roughened cap over its upper end; a bracket rigidly mounted upon the said standard adjacent to'its upper end and a pivot-pin mounted in said bracket; of a le ver-arm provided with means for pivotally engaging one end with said pivot-pin; said lever-arm extending across the upper end of said standard and arranged to make contact therewith when in a position approximately at right angles thereto; and a roughened gripping-plate on said lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT H. ELROD. BRANTLY PRIOKETT. ALONZO B. SMITH.

\Vitnesses: 4

H. S. WooDmc, O. E. MOORE. 

